The King of Christmas
by Mariogeek
Summary: It has been a little over a month since the events of Luigi's Mansion, and Luigi can't forgive King Boo's evil deeds. But when a vision begins to haunt him, will he learn to forgive, or will hatred get the best of him in the end?
1. A Confession

Alone.

It was the first time since...

Luigi sighed and pulled his scarf tighter. The icy wind bit into his bones regardless. It tried to blow him back, make him lose the progress he was making on the muddy path.

The last of the golden leaves tumbled past his feet, and came to rest in tangled piles.

It seemed that everything was dead below. As dead and whitewashed as a Dry Bones.

His gaze flicked up to the trees. They shook their gray fists at the stormy sky. Leaves tumbled from their branches. Crows flapped and squawked in discomfort, always looking for a better perch.

Beyond the crows loomed a more ominous sight: snow clouds. The wind whipped them into a froth, a thick blue wall of harsh weather.

Snow? On December 1st? _Mamma Mia_ , it was as if the Earth itself couldn't contain its excitement for Christmas!

Luigi's foot snagged on a rock. He roughly fell to his hands and knees.

He was trying to get away from the festivities, but he couldn't even get away from his own clumsiness.

He sighed and pulled himself to his feet. The chill wrapped around him, trying to drag him down again.

Maybe he should just go back…

 _No_. He'd wanted peace. It was only December 1st, and already the holiday was being shoved down his throat, like those nasty fruitcakes that Yoshi liked to make. _Festive?_ How about nightmarish?

Luigi shook his head. He shouldn't call it nightmarish. _The Mansion_ had been truly nightmarish.

He grimaced. _No, no._ He tried to shake the thought away. He had come out here to get _away_ from such thoughts, not to stumble upon them again!

He continued down the faded path. The ground was covered in a thin confetti of rotting leaves. The trees above looked like they were out of a storybook, the one about the knights that Mario used to read to him as a _ragazzino_. As he walked, the willows almost magically began to fade into an oak grove.

Luigi stopped. _No, no_ … he would not think about Boo magic…

The Mansion flickered into his vision, seated on the path.

Dark green. A row of windows brightly lit, like eyes. Its entrance the dark jaws of a demon...

 _Stop it,_ idiota! _There is no mansion!_

The Mansion instantly blinked out of existence, but the oaks did not. They taunted him. Threatened to trigger the memory again.

Luigi eyed a crow that was seated on a branch just above his head. Its surveyed him back, its beady black eye a pool of mystery.

 _Crack!_ Luigi jumped as an oak branch tumbled to the ground behind him. It scattered leaves when it smacked the ground. It had lost the bitter fight to the cold.

The crow squawked and whirled away.

His heart thudded in his ears. _You torture yourself. Leave, please!_

But he didn't leave. He stood rooted to the spot, thoughts in motion. He couldn't go back. He wasn't ready…

He wasn't ready for Christmas. He was still dwelling on that terrible Halloween night.

Visions of ghosts, bats, and spiders began to spill into his conscious. He stumbled towards one of the oak trees. Touched it. Tried to bring himself back to reality. The hard, grooved bark between his fingers helped to pull him back out of the memories.

King Boo had thought that Mansion was merely a horror game.

Luigi closed his eyes and rested his forehead against the tree. That fang-filled sneer consumed his mind.

What kind of _sick_ game would capture and torture his brother like that? What kind of _sick_ game would allow King Boo's _only_ punishment to be a life inside a painting?

Luigi had slammed his fists into the tree trunk, then pulled them away and sat down at the base of the tree. He watched the foreboding sky with teary eyes, then moved his gaze down to his knuckles. They were raw and red, with small amounts of tree bark ground into them. He'd have to wear his gloves to hide it from Mario and everyone in town.

Christmas was beginning. The season of festivity and love, and he couldn't enjoy it. He _hated..._

He _hated_ King Boo.

"Oh, you do?" A hollow voice echoed through the air.

Luigi instantly sprang to his feet as his heart thudded in his chest. "W-w-who's there?"

"I _said-_ you've decided to hate me?" A weak, flickering version of King Boo materialized, like a projection. The only crown he wore was that of his smile, which was sadistic and terrifying.

Luigi's knees buckled. He fell to the hard ground, shoots of pain traveling all the way up his spine. King Boo's ghastly laugh rang in his ears.

He was shaking. He tried to pull himself back up, but he couldn't. Even the rotting leaves between his knees seemed to quiver at the presence of King Boo. "What d-do you want?"

"I think the better question is- what do _you_ want?"

Luigi dared look back up at the god of terror. The ghost flickered.

A hallucination.

 _Only a_ stupido allucinazione! He banged his fist on the ground. _Agh, Luigi,_ sei sciocco! _What a dummy you are!_

Luigi pushed himself to his feet and glared at the vision. It was here to serve _his_ purposes then? He puffed out his chest. "I do. I hate you."

King Boo merely smiled.

Luigi's gut began to churn. Wasn't the vision supposed to disappear after his confession? "I _hate_ you with all of my heart and always will!"

A little chuckle came from King Boo's throat. He made no move to vanish, in fact, just the opposite. He solidified a little.

Frightened, Luigi turned away and quickly began to stumble over the slippery leaves, back to Toad Town. Maybe the vision would not disappear unless he walked away. He was at peace now.

Right?

The voice echoed behind him, a little stronger. "I am not so easily dismissed, Green One! I'll follow you!"

The monstrous chill bit into Luigi's legs as he broke into a run. King Boo was a product of his mind, he'd will it away! _Go away,_ allucinazione. _Go away and leave me alone._

Though he couldn't see it, Luigi still didn't look back. He slowed down among the willow trees. Above, the snow clouds had claimed their spot above Toad Town, and would let loose at any moment. Mario would reprimand him for being out in such dangerous weather, then would immediately shove some hot tea into Luigi's hands and force him to warm up. Things would be all right.

His breath clouded the air as he saw the first twinkle of Toad Town's bright houses through the trees in the distance.

"Looks lovely this time of year." King Boo's voice came directly from the left. Luigi jumped and stumbled backwards.

"I thought you were gone!"

The ghost shrugged. "Apparently not."

Luigi's stomach clenched. He was going to throw up, he just knew it! "B-But how will I _live_ with you…?" His voice trailed off even as he asked the question. He looked back at the twinkling lights.

Why _couldn't_ he live with King Boo? He was living with this weather, Toads screeching Christmas carols, and Yoshi's fruitcakes!

He glanced back at King Boo, who was staring at him with a fanged grin. He could figure this out. He could live with this monster until he found a way to get rid of him.

After all, it was only a hallucination. A vision.

"Ha, live with _me_?" said King Boo, "I'd like to see you try!"

"I _will_."

Lugi was strong. If he could conquer the _real_ King Boo, then he could conquer this product of his own mind!

Jaw clenched, he wrapped his scarf a little tighter and began to tramp towards Toad Town.

He could do this. One day at a time.

 **A/N: Hello, lovely people! This is hopefully the only author's note.**

 **First, special thanks to ViolaHarmony for giving way a lot of encouragement to me while I was drafting this story!**

 **Secondly, this story has a total of four chapters and is already complete. I do not post stories that are not 100% done, yay! So, check back every Friday night for the next chapters!**

 **Thirdly, (hopefully) all reviews will be responded to with PMs.**

 **And lastly, I own all of the Nintendo characters. All of them. (Ha, no.)**

 **Enjoy!**

 **-Mariogeek**


	2. Balance

"Be careful!"

Luigi grinned to himself as he nimbly scaled the wooden ladder. A stained glass window just to his right seemed to glow, even on the cloudy day. He leaned out a little to examine the detailed artwork. Peach's castle seemed more amazing every time he visited!

"Luigi! Don't fall!"

Luigi rolled his eyes and turned backwards. He glared down at Mario from his superior height. "I am not afraid of heights, like you are. I am called Monkey Mario for a reason."

Mario folded his arms and glared back. "Who says I'm afraid of heights?"

"Never mind." Luigi carefully shifted the silver garland he was holding to his left hand, and kept on climbing. He focused on his destination: the rafters of the castle. They stuck out like ribs, perfect for hanging all kinds of Christmas decorations.

As if Peach's Castle wasn't slathered in decorations already! Luigi thought back to the morning, when they had strung Christmas lights along every hall, or earlier in the week when they had hauled in the _gigantecsco_ Christmas tree. Luigi could almost feel the heat of the thousand lights on his back as he reached the top of the ladder.

The busy, distracting week had seemed to smother King Boo. Keep him away.

Carefully, he pulled himself up onto the thin beam. This was the work of a true professional.

From up here, the Christmas tree looked like a little toy. The star on its top seemed like a flake of snow. The white tables that held cookies and eggnog were now dollhouse furniture. Toads running around seemed like pieces of candy. Mario looked like… well, a mini-Mario.

It was dusty up here. The most eye-catching item was the huge, iconic stained glass window of Peach. Barely any light shone through it at this time of day, especially when it was so cloudy. Still, it was _fantastico._ If he dared to leap across the beams, he could touch it.

Luigi was almost unwilling to breathe. Balance was crucial. The beam was slanted and only a few inches wide. Carefully, he wrapped the garland around one of the old nails sticking out of the beam. He inched himself along it until he came to the next one.

Balance was crucial here. But it was not crucial everywhere.

He smiled as he wrapped the garland around the second nail. Take King Boo, for example. Luigi had not _balanced_ him in his life this past week, and he was just fine!

He inched to the next nail.

He didn't particularly _like_ distraction and busyness, but if it kept King Boo away, then it was fine. The important part was- he had won.

"Ha! Tell me you're not serious!" King Boo materialized, and Luigi almost lost his grip on the beam. The hallucination was stronger, clearer.

Terrifying.

Luigi looked down at Mario before he hissed at King Boo. "What do you want?"

"I want what's rightfully mine. You think you're won, and that's a lie."

Grimacing, Luigi stayed silent for a minute. If distraction wouldn't keep King Boo out of his life, then what _would_? "What does it matter to you?"

The ghost sneered. "You're so proud about your _balance_. Well, balance _me_ into your life. I dare you."

"Weege! Are you all right?"

Luigi paled and peeked down at his brother. "Yes, I'm fine! Just… taking in the scenery!"

Mario looked up at him, a mug of eggnog in hand. "We don't have all day!"

"Yes!" Luigi glared at King Boo. "I will balance you, it will be very easy."

"It w-w-will be very easy." King Boo mocked. He floated closer. "You can't, and I can prove it."

"How?"

"Watch." He vanished with a cackle.

Luigi shivered and quickly wrapped garland around three more nails. He dearly hoped that Mario wouldn't find out about King Boo, that was the _last_ thing he needed. Mario could be so overprotective, so…

"Hey, Luigi! Maybe you should come down, you look pale."

 _Speaking of which…_ "I am fine, Mario. I am always pale." Luigi didn't look at Mario. He couldn't tell his brother about this! That Mansion had finally proven how brave he could be, and he didn't want to destroy that all over again.

"Why don't I come up?"

"No!" Luigi instantly regretted his hasty answer. "No… I mean, there is not enough room for two people up here."

Even without looking at him, Luigi could feel Mario's stare boring into him.

Finally, Mario sighed. "Well, just hurry, then. I'm right here if you need me."

 _That's the problem_. Mario was perceptive when it came to his brother. Luigi knew he wouldn't last long if he didn't clean up his act. He focused on hanging the garland on the next nail.

" _Boo!_ " King Boo bounced into his face like a jack-in-the-box.

Luigi shrieked and reeled back, instantly losing his balance. He made a hasty grab for the edge of the beam, but the smooth wood made his fingers slip. He fell, one hand still reaching out to the rafters above.

King Boo's demonic laugh echoed in his ears as he dropped, his back to the ground.

" _Gotcha!_ " Air whooshed out of Luigi's lungs as Mario roughly grabbed him. They both fell to the ground in a heap, eggnog splashing into Luigi's eyes and hair.

His ears rang. He laid on the carpet like a deer in the headlights. _This is horrible_.

"Omigosh, Omigosh!" A few Toads began to flock around him.

"Are you all right?"

"Should we help you up?"

"Someone get Dr. Toadley!"

Luigi shook his head and weakly sat up. "No, no. I do not need a doctor!"

"I think he does." Mario's strong voice rose above the Toads' chattering. "Get Dr. Toadley, tell him to meet us in the guest bedroom."

"N-no, Mario!" Luigi pushed himself to his feet and dazedly faced his brother. "I am fine, it was just a little accident!"

Mario's eyes instantly glinted with suspicion. "Accident? You _screamed._ "

The Toads nervously began to disperse.

Luigi took a deep breath. He looked at the Toads, trying to put thunder in his voice. "Do _not_ get Dr. Toadley." He turned back to Mario. "I saw a spider, it scared me."

Mario folded his arms.

Clearing his throat, Luigi started to walk to the door.

Mario stepped in front of him. "Why are you lying to me?" His face had tinted crimson.

Luigi held up his hands. "Nothing, really! I mean- there is nothing wrong!" He smiled, even showing his teeth.

He tried to ignore the sounds of the Toads shushing each other, wanting to hear the rest of the argument.

"No, I can tell that you're lying!" A little color drained out of Mario's face. He sighed. "Don't you trust me to help you?" He pointed at the ceiling. "Didn't I catch you from your fall?"

"I am _very_ happy that you saved me, thank you." Luigi pushed past his brother and resolutely walked to the front door.

He didn't look back. He grasped the ornate ring of the front door and pulled it just enough to slip out into the biting cold.

The courtyard echoed as the door fell shut behind him. The stones had been covered in light snowdrift, and piles of snow were gathered in the corners of the walls. He strode across the fresh layer, mindful that he was leaving footprints that Mario could follow at any moment.

A distant laugh echoed, a laugh like a demon emerging from the pit of hell. It grew stronger and stronger, until King Boo phased into Luigi's vision. "You were _always_ easy to scare."

Luigi shoved his hands in his pockets as he clanked across the moat bridge. "Why did you do that? I did nothing to you!"

"Oh, but you _did_. You ignored me."

"So?"

"I _will not_ be ignored." King Boo floated a little higher. "You're wrong in thinking you can have your cake and eat it too."

Luigi stopped and stared at the vision. "My _cake_? You think I _want_ this?"

King Boo shrugged. "Obviously you do. Otherwise I wouldn't be here."

"But I hate _you_. I _don't_ want you here!"

The ghost grinned, and held a hand up as if he were lecturing a child. " _No_ , you hate _King Boo_." He turned and began to float across the snow. He almost disappeared against the white.

"But..." Luigi stumbled after him. The snow was deeper here, covering what was once hills of grass. His pant cuffs became soggy.

He quickly realized that King Boo was headed for the Mario Bros. house.

"Hey!" Luigi cupped his hands around his mouth as he ran to catch up. " _Hey!_ "

King Boo stopped and waited. "What?"

"You are not welcome at my house!"

A genuine laugh bubbled from King Boo's throat. "I don't recall you having a choice!"

"I am going to make you leave."

"Ha! I'd like to see you try!" The vision became a little clearer. A little stronger. "You're missing the whole point! You can try all you want! Try vacuuming me! Shooting at me! Try to will me away or get a magician! An exorcist! I am no demon, Green One! _I am your hate!_ "

" _That is enough!_ " Luigi shook his fist at King Boo. "You are nothing but a _vision_! I _will_ make you leave! You will be gone before the week is over!"

Like I said," King Boo vanished, and left only the echo of his voice behind, "I'd like to see you try."

 **A/N: I said no more author's notes, but I lied. Special thanks to _everyone_ who followed, reviewed, or added this story to their favorites. That means a lot to me. Until next week!**


	3. Confrontation

Nothing. Luigi sighed and tugged at his mustache. _Nothing_ had worked. No amount of mental willpower would make King Boo go away. He was at the end of his rope! It was the end of the week and King Boo had only gotten stronger.

 _Parli del diavolo._ Luigi looked up at King Boo, who was motionless next to the Christmas tree. Just like the rest of the Mario Bros. living room, the tree had been decked out with lights and tinsel, and King Boo looked like a grinning Christmas cookie floating next to it. The lights of the tree and the crackling fire in the fireplace played off of his glistening fangs...

Mario sneezed on the couch, and Luigi stiffened. He'd been avoiding Mario all week. A conversation was coming. If the tension could be cut with a butterknife, then he could taste the butter.

Luigi shifted in the rocking chair and carefully reached for the fire poker. If he didn't think about Mario, then maybe Mario wouldn't think about him.

After he stirred the fire, Luigi gave a sidelong glance. Mario's lips were drawn into a thin line, his eyebrows furrowed as he slogged through _Children of Yesterday: The Fall of The Koopa Kingdom._

Luigi sighed and stared at the window. The early evening had brought pitch-blackness and piles of snow in the corners of the windows. It wouldn't belong before he and Mario would be tramping around in the cold like penguins, and shoveling Toads out of their houses.

"Did you know that Bowser's great-great-uncle was the last one in the _pure_ Koopa bloodline?"

Luigi jumped at Mario's question. The silence had been deafening before now. "W-why, no, I didn't."

Mario nodded without looking up. "According to this, his heirs were mysteriously kidnapped, so Bowser's great-grandfather took the throne next."

"Uh-huh..."

Mario finally noticed. "Hey- are you alright?"

Luigi quickly looked away. "Yes."

King Boo didn't stifle his laughter. Luigi cringed.

Mario took a sip of his hot chocolate, his eyes never leaving Luigi. He slid a bookmark into his book and closed it. "Actually, I've been meaning to talk to you about last Saturday. You've been so busy this week, I haven't had a chance-"

Luigi's eyes began to dart around the room. He had to get out of this conversation, _now_.

"-and I've been worried about you ever since you fell off the beam," he said, "you've been so pale and kinda jumpy-"

 _Aha!_ " _Vuoi più cioccolata calda?_ "

The Italian seemed to catch Mario off guard. He picked up his red mug and hesitated. "It's only half-empty-"

"It is only half-full." Luigi walked over and firmly pulled the mug out of Mario's grasp. He ran to the kitchen.

A conversation avoided. Even only for a second.

Luigi slowly walked through the dark kitchen and set the mug on the wood countertop.

As he stood there, scratchy Christmas music began to drift into the kitchen from the living room, before it hiccuped and sputtered out. _Trying to fix that old radio?_

He needed to hurry. Mario would not be sidetracked for long.

Without bothering to flip on a light, Luigi pulled open several cabinets, looking for the cocoa. Mario never was able to put it away in the right place.

 _Hm_. It wasn't here. On a whim, Luigi pulled open the fridge. There it was- nestled between some fruit and a bowl of pasta.

Luigi grabbed it, closed the fridge, and returned to the counter.

As he screwed the lid off the jar, a chill swept through his bones as King Boo appeared next to the cabinets.

The vision grinned at him for a moment. "It's too _quiet_ in here."

Luigi's gut tensed as the old radio sputtered to life, blared an old Toadish carol, and then died again. They could hear Mario muttering in Italian.

"Why are you here?" whispered Luigi.

King Boo almost illuminated the room. "You can't hide from me."

Luigi shook his head at the posturing. "You will leave." His free hand curled into a fist. Anger bubbled into his throat.

"In your dreams." King Boo laughed again. "I'll destroy you."

"You will not."

"I will."

" _You will go!_ " Luigi's anger burned. He hurled the coffee mug at the vision.

The loud shatter of ceramic snapped him back to reality. Hard bits of the mug and droplets of hot chocolate sprayed off the cabinets and back into his face.

He stood, frozen, as the last of the hot chocolate pooled from the edge of the counter, down the cabinet, and onto the floor.

His face stung. Chocolate was in his eye. He could taste it, mixing with blood from a cut on his lip.

"What on Earth..." Mario's voice rang behind him.

Mario's strong arm wrapped around Luigi's shoulder. Luigi's knees collapsed. "I-I-I am so sorry..."

Kneeling next to him, Mario began to sweep the ceramic out of Luigi's hair. "Hey, hey. What's going on?"

Luigi blanked on what to say.

"This has to do with when you fell, doesn't it?"

Luigi tried to control his breathing. "I just..." He trailed off. What was he supposed to say?

The silence seemed to aggravate Mario. "Luigi, just say it, whatever it is."

How could he _just say it_? Luigi opened his mouth, then closed it. He couldn't _just say it,_ he didn't know where to begin!

He could hear the echo of King Boo's laugh.

"All right," Mario suddenly tugged at Luigi by the arm, "come on. We're going to sort this out."

Like a zombie, Luigi was led to the living room. Mario firmly sat him down on the couch, and then stood in front of him.

Luigi felt Mario's gaze, but didn't meet it. Instead, he stared at his hands. He conjured a little spark of lightning. It electrified him, made him feel powerful.

"You should have said something."

Luigi snorted. His hand glowed brighter. "Oh, yes. I should have _warned_ you that I was going to throw the mug. I did not _know_ what to say, Mario."

Mario's voice was firm. "I care for _you_. It matters to me that you say _something,_ it doesn't have to be a perfect speech."

Well… that was good. Luigi's hand fizzled out.

"Just… just try to tell me what's going on." Mario carefully sat down on the couch next to Luigi.

Silence followed. Luigi could feel the patience, the love emanating from his brother. If it took hours for Luigi to say something, Mario would still be here.

After a long silence, he sighed. "It is…" he tried to find the words, "a vision."

Mario didn't comment.

Luigi's chest swelled. "It is King Boo. He… follows me. I can not stop thinking about what he tried to-" He ground to a halt. His jaw clenched.

Cautiously, Mario ventured a comment. "It turned out alright in the end-"

" _No_ , no, it is not all right!" Luigi shot to his feet and faced his brother. "He is an evil being. He tried to kill us and what punishment did he get?" His stomach twisted as he said the words, "I hate him. He was not punished for _anything_ , and I hate him!"

"He was sealed in a painting."

"A life free of worry- he does not deserve something so good!"

By the way Mario's eyebrows furrowed, Luigi knew he'd made a terrible mistake in that comment. Mario had, after all, been trapped inside a painting as well- and _still_ hadn't talked about the experience.

Mario didn't argue, though. "So this is how you're going to punish him?"

"What?"

"You're going to hate him. It's your revenge."

Luigi sank back onto the couch. "No..." The more the words sunk in, the more they made sense. Was _that_ his goal, then? He wanted to punish King Boo?

A deep sigh came from Mario. "Look, I don't know about visions and all that, but I do know one thing. You… you've gotta forgive him."

Luigi's head shot up in horror. "No!"

Mario nodded.

"No," repeated Luigi, "No, no, I can not!" The room started to feel hot. He stood up again."He did not ask for forgiveness! He does not deserve it!"

Mario too, stood. Luigi glanced at him and saw fire in his eyes. "Luigi, listen to me. He does _not_ deserve to be forgiven, not at all. What he did was _wrong_. But you _have_ to forgive him, for your own sake!"

" _Ridicolo!_ Not for my own sake! I am the one that decided to hate for my sake and yours!"

"Look at yourself! At the very least, your hatred is doing nothing but hurting _you_. It doesn't hurt King Boo, but it hurts you, and me, and it hurts- a whole lotta people that have to watch-"

"I _can not_ forgive King Boo." Luigi shook his head and collapsed onto the couch.

"You can't… or you don't want to?"

Luigi closed his eyes.

No… he didn't want to. Not at all.

Luigi kept his eyes squeezed shut as Mario sat next to him. The couch shuddered.

Mario cleared his throat. "Who's the King of Christmas, Weege?"

Luigi didn't answer.

"Is it… King Boo? Or is it someone else? Someone who taught us all to forgive, eh?"

He could only sit and breathe.

No, he did not want to forgive King Boo. He _refused_.

Even as he made the mental declaration, he felt the agony of hopelessness.

He had to get away. He abruptly rose from the couch and glared at Mario. "I am going for a walk."


	4. Rescue

"I… I am being torn apart."

"Touching." King Boo rolled his eyes.

The night had already claimed the forest. Its bowels of darkness, its teeth of snow, and its breath of icy wind blanketed the forest and everything in it.

Luigi stumbled into the snow. A log, invisible under the white, had tripped him. The snow had already filled the tops of his boots. It rubbed his ankles raw.

The forest looked so different. The naked oaks seemed dead. Snow piled in the crooks of their branches. No crows lived here anymore. Everything was asleep.

A harsh cackle from King Boo caused him to snap back to attention. "If you thought that coming back here is going to get rid of me-"

"I am wrong, I know." Sorrow bubbled into Luigi's throat. He continued to trudge forward.

He couldn't forgive King Boo. He _couldn't._

But if he didn't…

The snow fell like confetti at a celebration. It was stifling. It passed through King Boo, but settled on Luigi. It moved into the hood of his jacket and melted on the back of his neck.

The heavier the snow fell, the more the forest succumbed to the darkness.

Going back was not an option. It had been a long day. Luigi didn't want to hear Mario's words again. He didn't want to hear…

He didn't want to forgive King Boo.

"Then don't." The vision drifted uncomfortably close. "Hate him."

Luigi stopped, shivering. "Hate _him_? Tell me, what are _you_?"

The ghost grinned. "I told you a whole week ago. _I am your hate. I am a part-_ "

"Of me, I know."

"Then why did you ask?"

Luigi didn't answer. He'd asked because he was looking for a way out. A light at the end of the tunnel.

This depressing reality was crushing him.

He continued forward, always forward. Never back. He couldn't go back home, not yet, if ever.

Dead, dead, _dead!_ Everything was _white_ , and _cold,_ and _dead!_ Even the _sky_ was dead, consumed by a nighttime that never wanted to leave. The moon barely peeked through the thick clouds. The snow reflected back what little light it caught.

He couldn't stay here.

He couldn't go home.

He couldn't forgive.

A muffled sound like applause, or possibly rain, reached his ears. He became alert. _What is that?_

He wandered towards it, King Boo in tow. He could see nothing except dark statues of trees, and thousands of thick snowflakes brushing past his face.

After a minute of walking, the blank, twisted trees began to group closer together, until they became tightly knit along a stretch of land.

As Luigi walked closer, the sound became clearer. _A river!_

He wandered closer to the bank. The river was an ugly, oozing black gash in the snow. Its deep-throated roar swept through his chest. Logs caught in its inky jaws were dashed against each other, spray flying like blood from an arrow wound. The water licked away at the bank. Even as Luigi watched, part of the snow-covered ground crumbled and splashed into the water.

He stood, enchanted.

The water… it seemed to be calling him.

Beckoning him.

 _I can not go back_ , he thought. He edged closer. The snow flattened under his feet. _I can not forgive, I can not..._

He stopped short just of the bank.

"Think about it, Luigi." King Boo appeared just beside him. He, too, stared at the mighty river. "Think carefully. This life... may not be the best choice..."

Luigi stepped a tad closer and peered over the edge. It was a long way down to the ground. A short stretch of sand and rock wasn't consumed by the water.

Yet.

Luigi looked over at King Boo. "I want to be rid of you."

King Boo did not smile. "Be my guest." He gestured to the river.

Looking back at the river, Luigi's stomach twisted. He slowly peeled off his cap and tossed it behind him. Snow began to pelt the bridge of his nose.

He stepped on the very edge.

" _Luigi!_ "

He stopped. "Mario?" He turned. He could see nothing except his green hat, already half-drowned in snow.

He glanced back at the river.

And suddenly realized what he'd almost done.

The snow gave way underneath him. Air whooshed from his lungs as he fell onto the rocks below like a ragdoll, his legs instantly locking up as they landed in the strong current.

Sharp stones dug into his back. Heat rushed to his face. Snow covered his eyes.

He groaned.

"Well!" King Boo lightly floated down above him, and looked down like a panther at its prey. "It seems like your problems will be over soon, whether you like it or not!"

Luigi tried to control the sharp gasps coming from his throat. The heat in his back was unbearable. His heart thudded in his ears. _Breathe._ "Did I… did I break a bone?"

"How should I know? However, it seems that you'll be taking a _ride_ within a minute or two!"

Even as King Boo spoke, the strong, rising current began to pull Luigi further into the river. He yelped and stuck his hands out. He dragged them on the small stones, to no avail. His hands felt like useless chunks of ice.

He tried to force his muscles to work. His legs to jump up and run from here. He grit his teeth. _Why? Why will they not move?_

"Oh, please," King Boo's smile was wide, "this is what you wanted, wasn't it?"

 _Did I want this?_ Luigi's head spun. His teeth chattered.

The river sucked him out a little further. The lower half of his body began to float.

Truly, his death would hurt everyone but King Boo.

This was what hate had gotten him.

The vision seemed to sense the thoughts that were on the brink of his conscious. "No. Think of King Boo. Hate him!"

Luigi could barely reply. His heart felt as if it would burst. "It is-s-s not w-worth it. I f-forgive him."

" _No!_ " The vision screamed in his face, "hate!" His eyes burned with fire, "hate until you die!"

"I- I forgive him! I- I forgive you, too!"

King Boo vanished, not even the echo of his scream left behind.

Silence.

Luigi shivered as his shoulders dragged over the rocks.

Then, the river claimed its prize.

It was turbulent and cold as he bobbed in the river. The backs of his legs scraped against the twigs and logs in the water. Two of those logs would eventually come together and smash him to bits, he was sure. His ears filled with water, icy cold. They felt frozen, and then felt warm to a painful degree. He wondered if they were bleeding.

He drifted to sleep- or maybe death. It didn't scare him. He welcomed the thought of relief.

" _Hey!"_

Even through his stupor- and the water in his ears- he heard the familiar roar.

" _Luigi!"_

His brother had come to rescue him…

He couldn't move. He couldn't open his snow-crusted eyes. But he smiled.

A dull splash reached his ears. He bobbed a little more violently. He could feel the water shifting around his big brother as he battled the strong current. An arm latched on to him, and roughly swam him back to the bank.

At wading distance, strong arms scooped him out of the water.

"Luigi?" Mario's voice trembled. "Luigi, can you hear me?"

The air was like ice cubes against Luigi's wet skin. Everything began to sting. He slowly realized that he was shivering. "Y-yes."

The hard rocks poked into his back once more. Queasiness settled into Luigi's stomach. He still felt like he was swaying in the river.

Mario laid a hand over Luigi's heart. "Can you breathe? Do you hurt? I'll give you my jacke-"

"I forgave him, Mario." Luigi cracked an eye open. Snow fell into it. He blinked rapidly.

Mario stiffened at the declaration. A smile grew on his face, but then it fizzled away. "So you had to go and get yourself- ugh."

Luigi tried to relax, hoping to stop his shivering.

Mario shook his head and took off his jacket. "Here, you're gonna have to-" Mario pulled Luigi into a sitting position and wrapped the jacket around Luigi's shoulders. Then, he handed Luigi his green hat. "I'm glad this was next to the bank. I went looking for you in the river..."

"It w-was an accident. Well… sort of."

Mario looked away, but not before Luigi saw a tear rolling down his cheek. "I got scared when I realized that you'd come to the forest. I've been worried for weeks, and then to have you do this..."

Guilt welled in Luigi's stomach. "Mario… thank you for being here for me."

Mario brushed his eyes with the back of his glove before looking back at Luigi. He grinned a little. "Always."

"I am sorry for everything. The hate drove me so low." Luigi looked back at the river's black jaws. Two logs crashed together, not far from where he would have been bobbing. "But it is over now. I forgave him." He brightened a little at the thought. _It really is over._

Worry returned to Mario's eyes as he surveyed his brother. "Hey, we have to get you out of here. I called Yoshi before I headed out- just in case-"

"Thank you." No feeling was in Luigi's legs. It was a relief that he wouldn't have to walk.

"Yoshi brought a fruitcake to the house."

Luigi stiffened, and then relaxed. "Good." Yes, everything this holiday had a new light on it. Even the fruitcake.

He pulled Mario's jacket around himself a little tighter.

If hatred ever tried to claim him again…

He'd be ready.


End file.
